Japanese scientists win Nobel Prizes in medicine, chemistry

(MENAFN) Japanese researchers Shimon Sakaguchi and Susumu Kitagawa were awarded Nobel Prizes on Wednesday in Stockholm for their pioneering contributions to medicine and chemistry.

During a ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the gold medals and diplomas to Sakaguchi, a 74-year-old professor at Osaka University, and Kitagawa, also 74, a professor at Kyoto University. This marks the first time in a decade that Japanese laureates have been recognized in two separate fields in the same year, according to reports.

Sakaguchi earned the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of regulatory T cells (Tregs), which help prevent the immune system from attacking healthy cells, leading to new therapies for autoimmune disorders, cancer, and other diseases. Kitagawa received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing metal-organic frameworks, innovative porous materials capable of storing and releasing gases such as methane and nitrogen.

Each prize carries an award of 11 million kronor (roughly $1.2 million). Both laureates shared their honors with two other scientists in their respective disciplines.

Japan has now produced a total of 31 Nobel laureates, including the Nihon Hidankyo group, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its anti-nuclear advocacy on behalf of atomic bomb survivors.

MENAFN11122025000045017640ID1110465908